Split cradle for tubular stranding machines



Jan. 5, 1954 c. o. BRUESTLE SPLIT CRADLE FOR TUBULAR STRANDING MACHINES Filed July 1, 1950 I a w A Q W1 2 7 m fl u y U 6 y H H fl fl 1 m 7 8 g (SJ I Y Y/ 7 I. V

Patented Jan. 5, 1954 H SPLIT CRADLE FORTUBULAR sTRANnING MACHINES Carl vofllii uestle,"-Metuchen, N J assig'iior-"to'i- Syncro Machine Company, :Perth Amboy, N. L55: a fcorpor-ationof 'New Jersey Applica'ti'oli July 1, 1950, Serial'No'."171 739 4 Claims (01. 579-5834 The present invention relates to tubular strandingmachines and especially to' a cradle construction-for supporting a spool or reel of wire---'-irisuch astranding machine; Tubular stranding machines of the-type to which this invention is applied comprise a large tube within whicha cradle-is mounted; which cradle is supported -onbearings "and remainsstationary as the-large'tube rotates'about it. The cradle in turn supports a spool or a I reel of wire which is fed-through themachine by means of'a drawing capstanbeing-twisted by a twisting-head.

Since the tubes are very large and since the reelsof'wire must be frequently replaced, the

tube-is-provided"with openings to" permit the withdrawal of an empty-reeland the insertion of a 'fullreel; Moreoveig-inthe usual construction, theopenings in the' tube above described are made suificiently large so that the cradles may be inserted therethrough.

My present invention makes it possible to utilize smaller openings in the strander tube,

thereby-increasing its strength while at the same time permitting the ready assembly of the machine'sin'ce the "cradle can be inserted through the smaller opening. This is accomplished by making a cradle which, instead of being a uni-' tary structure, is formed in a number of-pieces which can be more readily inserted through the smaller tube-*opening,

It, is tan-object of the inventionto provide a cradle for a tubular strander which may readily beinserted 'through the normal openings of a stranding machine tube.

It, is another object of the'invention to provide such a" cradle which, ismade in two ortmore parts.

It is a further object of the invention to supply a cradle which may readily be inserted through the corresponding opening in the stranding machine tube and assembled within the tube.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 is a horizontal, sectional view of a single section of a wire stranding machine showing my split cradle construction in place within the section;

Figure 2 is a vertical, cross-sectional view of the machine of Figure 1 showing particularly the mode of mounting the two cradle sections on their supporting bearings; and

Figure 3 is a vertical. cross-sectional view 2 .r taken on the plane-of the lines-3 0s Figure 2 and showing detailsof-the-construction of the strander cradle andofi'ts fasteningto oneof the supporting bearings. 5

" Referring now to"th""drawings 'and-particuflarlyto Figures '1 and 2, there n shown at" I 0 'th'e usual strander tubehavingtherein the elliptical openings I l Figure '3,- thro'ugh' 'which 5 reels of wire or the like may be inserted; As is indicated by the-dot-dash line I2, Figurefllfll prefer that the openings in tube-i0" be-elliptical in shape since this'provides fora maximum or strengthin the tube l0.

Mounted within" the tube ji 0 is the cradle comj prising the two portionsisandlk'tach of which is provided with a bearing l5inwhichf the'shaft i6 is supported: Aspoolor reel ofwiregenerally designated I! is 1 in" ti'i'rri "suppo'rted upon" the shaft lfi in the usual mannenf' Each portion'i3 or Mjofthe cradle 'ofmyin vention is of a general1y"-U-shapedform and is provided at either end with flange porti'ons re.

spectively designated 18 and 20. These flange portions are provided *with' "bores through which bolts 2i maybe inserted," theboltsbeingthreaded into a block 22rectangularirrfcross"section; the block 22 being intur'nsuitably supportedby ball bearings as indicated particularly at 23; Figure 2.

It will be seen-'thatsince the fcra'dleneed not be inserted as a unityitfis possible "to'utiliz e smaller openings ll and to"assemble"the two halves l3 and I 4 of the cradle structuretothe blocks '22 after the portions l3 "an'dl 4 havebeen passed through the openings and are positioned within" the tube iii; This is'done without any m'odification'of the structure'sin'ce' such tubular stranding machines "ar"e"''invariably supplied with" a plurality of openings H spaced circumferentially around the tube in order to assure balance of the tube which rotates at relatively high speed and to prevent the setting up of strains in the tube. Thus, the assemblage is facilitated since the bolts 2| may be readily threaded into the blocks 22 and thus fasten the cradle members l3 and M to the bearing blocks.

It has been pointed out in this embodiment of the tubular stranding machine that the openings for the insertion of the wire cradles should be made elliptical for the advantages derived therefrom in permitting the construction of tubes considerably stronger than those using conventional openings. I have found that in making the elliptical openings a ratio of major to minor axis of about 1.5 to 1 produces desirable results in that it permits the making of an opening large enough to accept a standard size reel without removing an excessive amount of material from the standard tube. When the ratio of the major axis to the minor axis is increased beyond about 2 to 1, though strength of the tube is not materially impaired, this works an unnecessary elongation of the opening for acceptance of the substantially circular wire spool and rectangular cradle. The relationship between the elliptical opening or axes thereof and the spool to be used in the operation is such that a rectangle corresponding in size to the projection of the spool onto a plane should be capable of being inscribed within the ellipse. The advantages derived from this elliptical opening apparatus in combination with the split cradle are apparent in that it permits simple and rapid changing of spools and assembly of the parts for stranding operations.

It has been found that stranding machines constructed in accordance with this invention wherein the ratio of the major to minor axes of the elliptical openings is kept within the range of 1.5 and 2 to 1 permits operation of the machines at speeds 50 per cent higher than previous machines of substantially similar design employing conventional rectangular openings.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the details comprising the invention herein disclosed are capable of some modification and I do not therefore desire to be limited to the illustrated embodiments but only'as required by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A reel supporting cradle structure for a tubular stranding machine of the type having a plurality of tubular sections arranged end to end and a cradle in each section, comprising, in combination, bearings mounted on the axis of each section at the ends thereof, bearing blocks rotatably mounted on each bearing, a pair of cradle sections of generally U-shape and having flanges at the ends of the arms of said U, means for fixing said cradle flanges on said bearing blocks with one of said cradle sections on either side of said bearing blocks, and reel supporting means located substantially centrally of the upper edge of each cradle section whereby a reel arbor may be mounted therein with the reel flanges extending between the bases of said U-shaped cradle sections.

2. A reel supporting cradle structure for a strand handling machine having a plurality of sections and a cradle mounted in each section, comprising in combination bearings mounted on an axis in each section, bearing blocks rotatably '4 mounted on each bearing, a pair of cradle sections of generally U-shape, having flanges at the ends of the arms of said U, means for fixing said cradle flanges on said bearing blocks with one of said cradle sections on either side of said bearing blocks, and reel supporting means located substantially centrally of the upper edge of each cradle section, whereby a reel arbor may be mounted therein with the reel flanges extending between the bases of said U-shaped cradle section.

3. A reel supporting cradle structure for a stranding machine of the type having a plurality of sections arranged end to end and a cradle in each .section, comprising in combination, bearings mounted on the axis of each section at the ends thereof, bearing blocks rotatably carried on each bearing, a pair of cradle sections having flanges at the ends thereof for fixing said sections to said bearing blocks with one of said cradle sections on either side of said bearing blocks, and reel supporting means substantially midway between the ends of said cradle sections whereby a reel arbor may be mounted therein with the reel flanges extending between the sections of said cradle.

4. A reel supporting cradle structure for a strand handling machine having a plurality of sections and a cradle mounted in each section, comprising in combination bearings mounted on an axis in each section, bearing blocks rotatably mounted on each bearing, a pair of cradle sections having the ends thereof parallel to the axis of said section, flanges at the ends of each of said cradle sections, and means for fixing said cradle flanges on said bearing blocks with one of said cradle sections on either side of said bearing blocks, and reel supporting means located substantially centrally of each cradle section, whereby a reel arbor may be mounted therein with the reel fianges extending between the sections of said cradle.

CARL O. BRUESTLE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,836,208 Van Hook Dec. 15, 1931 2,004,634.- Petterson June 11, 1935 2,177,812 Robbins et al Oct. 31, 1939 2,208,914 Van Hook July 23, 1940 2,371,523 Jones Mar. 13, 1945 2,416,126 Somerville Feb. 18, 1947 2,452,255 McKosky Oct. 26, 1948 2,485,348 Arnason Oct. 18, 1949 2,534,696 Bruestle Dec. 19, 1950 

